A wave of dizziness made her stumble. Diyan steadied her.

She clutched her bitten hand. Agony pulsed out from the bite marks. Through her swimming vision and overwhelming darkness, she could barely discern the multiple railroads in the tunnel, which branched off in the distance. Minecarts trundled along, and the amplified din assaulted her eardrums. That was when she realized that Diyan was talking to her.

"—need to hurry." He half-carried her as he rushed to intercept the moving carts. "Naga venom isn't deadly, but your hand needs treatment. Try not to move it."

"I didn't know there was a hospital in these parts," she murmured.

He shook his head and loaded her onto a cart carrying stone. She wondered what was pulling the carts. Raya jumped aboard behind Diyan—a shadow that melted into the murk. The cart grated and protested under the added weight.

It wasn't long before they entered a narrow tunnel, with a ceiling too low for comfort. Binara bit down a whimper, very much aware of Diyan's worried gaze.

"How much does it hurt?" he asked.

"It's nothing." She sucked in a deep breath. "What do we do now? This thing could be going anywhere."

He pulled out a compass from his pocket and studied it, though it was a wonder how he could see anything.

"Don't get me wrong—I'm glad to be out of that den of snakes." Binara shifted to a more comfortable position and rested her head against Raya. "But is there any hope of getting to Mount Meru before..."

"Binara," he said softly. "We're actually going to gain time."

She raised her head. "Huh?"

"This tunnel is heading roughly in the direction we need to go. It's likely to veer off eventually, so we'd have to disembark at an opportune moment. Still..."

Her heart leaped. It was a strange twist of fate that they got this unlikely ride towards their destination.

The last of the lamps receded to a mere speck, and the darkness swallowed it up. As the cart went on, Binara slumped back against the stone—blind except for her sixth sense. After all the misfortune that had plagued this journey, she clung on to this ray of hope that now peeked through the clouds. Despite her throbbing hand and the images of horror still fresh on her mind, her spirits soared.

However, the dizziness refused to subside, and her ears tuned out the abysmal thrum of the cart. Soon after, she sank into a state of semi-wakefulness—a limbo between consciousness and nightmares.

"Wake up, my lady."

Binara mumbled under her breath and curled into a ball. Whiskers tickled her cheeks, and a rough tongue licked her. She groaned.

"We need to move," Diyan's voice said in a quiet rumble. "How are you feeling?"

As the last remnants of sleep dissipated, the noise of the cart hammered into Binara's eardrums. Stones dug into her aching ribs, and the pain in her hand acted up, now swollen and sluggish. When she finally turned, a soft glow bloomed on her eyelids.

That was when memories rushed in. She snapped open her eyes.

The cart trundled through a cave system, crossing a bridge of wood and metal. High above, groves of filaments hung down from the roof like bioluminescent anemones. The flowery bodies were translucent and touched with blue, red and purple. Binara's breath hitched. Are they animals, plants, fungi or something else altogether?

It was a spectral biome brimming with life. Her mesmerized gaze swept over bats and tiny critters, which scuttled in and out of the anemones. Spiderwebs hung down in intricate patterns, eager to catch the abundance of prey.

"Binara, we need to get off this cart," Diyan said urgently, snapping her back to her senses. "Can you move?"

She looked into his silver eyes and untwisted her tongue. "Yeah, but we can't just jump off. It's too high and—"

"Listen." He nodded into the distance. "Do you hear that?"

"Water?" she asked, straining her ears.

"Get ready to jump."

Binara ignored the aches and pains as she moved to a crouch. She turned to watch the line of carts ahead of her, now visible in the muted illumination. That was when she saw what was pulling the carts. Her stomach flipped, and fear squeezed her chest.

They were two Naruma demons straight out of the Yakadura frescoes.

From her vantage point, she could see bulging muscles, wild hair and clanking chains as they kept on going. They were oddly proportioned—more beast than sapient.

"What the heck?" Binara muttered.

"They were brought in from Raa." Diyan tensed beside her. "Now!"

She had a millisecond to take in the stream several meters below, fed by a waterfall cascading down a rock. They jumped.

Binara plunged into the water—an abrupt slap that sent pain shooting up her arm. The cold devoured her small body and knocked the air out of her lungs. As she broke the surface, spluttering, Diyan wrapped an arm around her and guided her to the rocky rim. Raya paddled ahead of them, as graceful as ever. It wasn't the time to admire natural beauty, but she couldn't help staring at her surroundings. Bioluminescence cast an ethereal glow, tinted with color, and water reflections danced on the rocky walls.

When they were on dry ground, Raya shook off water from her coat while Diyan shed his cloak and wrung it out. Binara flopped down on a rock, pushing sopping wet hair off her eyes. Then she hugged her knees in an attempt to conserve heat.

A moment later, Diyan crouched down next to her and examined her swollen hand. Water trickled down his face in rivulets and dripped to the ground.

"It's fine," she murmured.

"I'll try to find something out there to treat your wound. But we need a fire first." His gaze panned over the cavern. "There must be an exit nearby."

Binara started to shiver. "How do you know?"

He pointed up at the bats and got to his feet.

Oh, right. She tried to stop her teeth from chattering and watched him disappear behind a rocky outcrop. Raya lay down beside her, licking the scratch on her flank. Binara wondered how long they had traveled on the cart and if the nagas would come looking for them. Diyan didn't have any more supplies, and the trip ahead was more daunting than ever. Still, she took solace in the fact that she was alive and free. Binara let out a sigh as she removed her soggy things from her backpack. Then she spread them out on the ground.

Diyan returned within minutes, carrying a bundle of twigs and branches. It wasn't long before he had a fire going. The blue-white flames brightened up the whole cavern, vying with the glowy anemones on the roof. Insects hovered down on gossamer wings, attracted to the new source of light.

Binara scooted closer to the fire, and her cold body reveled in the heat. Diyan looked at her and then took a deep interest in adjusting the branches. The telltale red on his ears made her glance down at her tee, which was soaked through. Heat kindled in her cheeks, and it had nothing to do with the fire. She scowled and hurriedly hugged her knees again.

"I hope you don't mind, my lady," he said.

"Huh?" She looked up and realized what he meant. "Oh, um, go ahead."

He almost looked bashful as he tugged at his shirt, and Binara stifled a smirk. When he pulled it off, she averted her eyes and started stroking Raya. On another occasion, she would have been curious enough to peek, but she was just too woozy.

"I'm going to see what I can find for your bite wound," he said, spreading out his shirt and cloak on a rock. "I'll be back in about half an hour. Take off your clothes and dry them."

She watched him leave from the corner of her eye. When she was sure he was gone, she pulled off everything except her underwear, wrung out the water with her good hand and placed it all as close to the fire as possible. Just in case he showed up earlier than promised, she pulled Raya with all her might and strategically shielded herself from view. The big cat rubbed her head against her side and purred.

When Diyan came back, Binara had donned her partially dried clothes. The chilly wind that whistled through the cavern didn't help, but the fire warmed her. He sat down next to her with various herbs and a piece of wood with blue mold, which he proceeded to grind with a stone. A strong smell mingled with the earthiness of the cavern.

That was when her gaze inadvertently flitted to his torso—a dusky wall of muscle that flexed as he worked. The rosy glow of the anemones above brought out the bronze undertones in his skin. Her eyes fluttered up and homed in on his bicep, where an angry red line glared at her.

"Your wound needs treatment too," she said with a frown.

He glanced up. "I heal much faster than you."

Binara grabbed her spare tee, which was mostly dry, and used the knife to cut a long strip. Diyan paused to watch her, surprise written all over his face.

"I'm thinking whatever that paste is, it's supposed to work as an antibiotic?" she asked, resuming her position by his side.

His frown etched deeper. "Antibiotic?"

Of course, he wouldn't know what that is. She shook her head. "You use that to prevent disease, right?"

"Yes."

"How do you know what to use anyways?" She slathered the paste on the strip and started bandaging his arm. "This stuff might be toxic."

"The same way I knew what to use to treat your arm." His face broke into a smile that made her heart stutter.

"What do you mean?" She tied up the makeshift bandage. "The kinnaras treated my arm."

"They were following doctor's orders."

She blinked at him. "What?"

"There were quite a few kings who were great physicians, especially in Hevana." He reached for her hand and started applying his concoction. "Health is the highest gain, so ayurvedic skill was just as important as everything else to a monarch. And it so happened that I learned from the best."

King Mayadunne...Binara braced herself for the sting, but she felt nothing except a welcome cool. He was gentle, long fingers touching her with reverence, and it stirred a whole different kind of warmth. This demon boy seemed to care about her.

She bit her lip. Diyan merely respected her ancestor—the mentor he looked up to. He felt duty bound to protect her. That line of thought struck a chord deep inside, but she shook it off.

When he was done, he got up to collect his shirt and cloak. A minute slipped by as he covered his glorious shirtless-ness, much to her disappointment.

"Thanks," Binara murmured, her voice a mere whisper in the breeze.

"You're welcome." His infernal smile appeared again. "All that's left is to warm you up."

"I'm not taking your cloak. Not this time—"

"The cloak can warm both of us."

Wait, what do you...On cue, her heart somersaulted, though she had the good sense to compose her face into a nonchalant mask. He sank down and leaned against Raya. There was a tentativeness about him, as if he was somewhat wary, shy or both. Do you expect me to slap you or something?

He looked at her, silver eyes so deep and attentive that they turned her insides to mush. "May I?"

Her tongue temporarily ceased to function, so she just nodded.

Diyan scooped her into his arms and wrapped the cloak around both of them. Pressed to his chest, it took a few seconds for her to recover. A fire blazed in her cheeks, and she breathed in, trying to still her frenzied heart. Suddenly, the spectral beauty of the cavern appeared all the more magical. I just need the rest and warmth. That's it. Not a big deal. This is about survival.

Yet, the butterflies inside kept squiggling, and her senses blotted out everything else and concentrated on him. She was conscious of hard muscles, the beat of his heart and the arms cocooning her. His breath tickled her hair, and her eyes closed. He knows we need to share the heat. That's it. She forced herself to believe that as she sighed and melted into his embrace. After the harrowing experience at the naga outpost, this was ambrosia to her soul—warm, safe and comforting.

Binara didn't know how much time passed, but the pain gradually eased. She opened her eyes and tilted up her head—to be met with Diyan's jawline in extreme closeup. Her gaze traced the sharp angle, dusted with stubble, and came to a stop at a scar just beneath it.

"Diyan," she breathed.

"Mm?" His larynx bobbled.

She mused at the pleasant rumble that spilled into her and then realized that his lips quirked up. "Why are you smiling?"

"That's the first time you called me by my name."

Oh...Binara made a dismissive noise. "What's this scar under your jaw?"

"You gave it to me."

"Huh?" She pushed herself up. "What do you mean?"

"You don't remember?" he asked. "The first time I met you at Mai Mara Cemetery."

"No way..." Her brain recreated the moment that she swiped at him with her claw ring. "But how? Because my ring was sanctified titanium? Still, I can't believe it scarred you—"

"Binara, I'll live."

"Sorry."

"This is nothing compared to what I've been through." He let out a bitter chuckle. "Believe me."

She shuddered and settled down into his arms. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

"About what?"

"About..." Binara inhaled deeply while a chill scuttled down her spine. "How you died."